Improvement in tramways



3 shets-sneet 1. C. A. EDGE.

Tramway.

BRICK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. A. EDGE.

Tramway.

No. 218,432. Patented Aug.'12, 1879.

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C. A. EDGE.

Tramway.

No. 218,432. Patented Aug. 12,1879.

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NFETERS. PHOT0.L|THOGRAFHER, WASHINGTGN. n C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

CHARLES A. EDGE, OF BIRMINGHAM, COUNTY OF WARWICK, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRAMWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2 l 8,4 32, dated August 12, 1879 application tiled June 11, 1879 patented iu England, November 250, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALLARTON EDGE, of Birmingham, in the county of Varwick, England, architect, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tramways, and in Carriages for Tramways, which improvements are fully set forth in the .following speci- -ication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in tramways, by which tion-chairs b bythe vertical sides of the said rail resting on the flan ges of the said foundation-chairs and 'connected thereto in the mauner hereinafter explained.

The foundation-chairs b, which are iixed at distances of about three feet apart, have broad bases, which are supported on an inverted arch or trench formed of brick-work or concrete, as hereinafter explained.

The upper face ot' the rail a, 011 which the wheel ofthe tramway-carriage travels, is perforated with a series of equidistant holes, o c.

These holes are either circular or oval, according as the teeth on the tramway carriage wheel, which teeth engage in the holes, are circular or oval in cross-section. p

The rails a are fixed in the following way: The vertical sides of the rail are furnished at the bottom with internal flanges, a a2, on which lian ges plates of iron d rest at short distances apart. Screw bolts c, with square heads f, pass downward through holes in the plates d and in the foundation-chairs b, the said screwbolts c taking into screw threaded apertures made in the foundation-chairs at b2. By means of a key fitting' the heads f of the screw-bolts e they can be readily screwed into or withdrawn from the foundation -chairs. The cylindrical parts f2 of the heads of the screws bear upon the plates (I and bind down the rails firmly to the foundation-chairs.

The kind of rail represented in Fig. l has lthe form which I prefer to give it when it is made ot' cast-iron.

Fig. 3 represents, in cross-section, the figure which I prefer to give to the railwhen it is made of wrought-iron. In this case I tix, by riveting or otherwise, cross-bolts g, extending from one of the vertical sides ofthe rail to the other. The plates d rest upon the cross-bolts g, the said plates d being held down by the screw-bolts c, in the manner before described with reference to Fig. l.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent, in cross-section, other moditications of rails with continuous cast-iron hollow foundation-sleepers in lieu of the chairs, at intervals, and the brick ltrench hereinbefore described.

The rail in the modification Fig. 4 may either be made of cast or wrought iron, and the rail in the modicaton Fig. 5 ot' wroughtiron. In Figs. 4 and 5 the rail is marked a, and the foundation-sleeper b. In these modifications the rail a is held down 011 the shoul- V ders b3 of the sleeper by means of the screws e takin g into screwed holes on the cross-plates d. These cross-plates d take their bearingupward against the shoulders h hin the interior of the foundation-sleeper I).

Fig. 6 represents, in cross-section, a modification of my invention in which the rail and the foundation-sleeper are made in one piece, by the process of casting or rolling.

Fig. 7 represents, in cross section, a street or road provided with tramways constructed according to my invention. By au examination of the said Fig. 7 it will be seen that the foundation-chairs b are supported upon inverted arches i, of brick and concrete;

Iprefer to make the roadway on each side of the tramway incline from the outside to- Yward the middle of the road,.so that rain 'may run toward the rails and pass through the holes in the rails into the inverted arches M, ou which the foundation-chairs are supported. The said inverted arches i t' are connected at convenient distances by means of the pipes or channels 7c k with the ordinary sewer, by which the rain passing into the inverted arches i t is carried on".

In Fig. 7 I have represented two kinds of tramways constructed according to my invention, the one consisting of a pair of iron rails, l l, and the other of one iron rail, m, situated midway between two plain iron, wood, or other rails, n n.

Fig.8represe1its,in plan, the tramway, with two iron rails, l I; and Fig. 9 represents, in plan, the tramway having one middle iron rail, m, and wooden or other rails n n on either side of it.

Figs.8, 9, and 10 illustrate the arrangements which I adopt for points and for turn-outs for the tramway-carriages. In Fig. 10 the carriage, on arriving at the points, can be guided, at the will of the driver, either on the direct line or onto the diverging line. As the holes in the rails (in which holes the teeth of the tramway-carriage wheels enter) are in the divided rail opposite to each other, and as the two rails pass into one another, the holes gradually approach each other; then coalesce to form nearly oval holes, which gradually shorten in their longest diameter, and nally pass into circular holes. By this arrangement of theholes at the points the carriage is free either to continue on the principal rail or to be turned onto the diverging rail.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the points are made selfacting-that is, the tramway-carriage is directed by the holes in the rails so that it passes from the principal line to the branch or divergent line automatically. By an examination of Figs. 8 and 9 it will be seen that the principal rails I m before they divide are provided with double sets of holesthat is, holes the distance between two of which is equal to half the distance between twoof the teeth of the tramway-carriage wheels. These double sets of holes, it will be seen, separate as therail is divided into two single rows of holes, by the action of which the tram way-carriage may either be turned to the right or left. This will be understood by au examination of Fig. 9, in which figure let it be supposed that the carriage advancing in the direction of the arrow is so situated on the rail m that two of the teeth of its wheel are engaged in the holes p q. The following teeth of the wheels as the carriage advances will engage in the holes r s t, and the carriage will be deliected to the left ofthe main line; but if the carriage were so situated on the line that two of the teeth of its wheels were engaged in the holes u r, then as the carriage advances the following teeth of the wheels would engage in the holes w .r, and the carriage would be deflected onto the rails at the right of the main line.

The arrangement of holes represented in Fig. 10 may be combined with the arrangement of holes represented in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 represents, in elevation,a portion of a wheel of a tramway-carriage provided with teeth y y, for engaging in the holes e e in the rails. These teeth y y may either be circular or elliptical in cross-section, the holes e e in the rails having a corresponding ligure.

Fig. 12 represents, in section, a portion of the tire of a tramway-carriage wheel, in which the tire and teeth are made by the process of casting.

Fig. 13 represents, in section, a portion of the tire of a tramway-carriage wheel made of wroughtiron. ln this wheel the tooth y is made separate from the tire, and is connected thereto by a shank, z, passing through a hole in the tire, and being fixed in its place by a screw, 2, and screw-nut 3, as represented.

Fig. 14 represents, in elevation and section, a wheel for a tramway-carriage constructed for use in connection with my invention. As will be seen by an examination of the drawings, I dispense with the anges ordinarily employed on the wheels of tramway-carriages and the corresponding grooves in the rails, the guiding of the wheels being effected by the teeth y y taking into the holes e e in the rails. These teeth not only give the wheels a firm hold upon the rails, but they clear the said holes c e of anything which may have accumulated in them, and the ineonvenienceatY tending the clogging of the grooves of the tramway-rails of the ordinary construction is avoided.

Having now described the nature of my invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, l wish it to be understood that I claim as my invention- 1. A tramway having one or more rails, with upper face perforated and fixed in position upon a level with the street, by means substantially as described.

2. rI he combination, with the perforated rail or rails of atramway,of oneormore trenches or inverted arches connected with the sewer, and means, substantially as described, for securing the rail or rails in position over the said trench or trenches, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a perforated tramway-rail, of the foundation-chairs and bolts for attaching the rail to the chairs, substantially as described.

4. A tramway switch or frog having converging or diverging lines of perforations on the upper face thereof corresponding with the tracks which unite or separate or cross at said switch or frog, substantially as described.

CHARLES ALLARTON EDGE. [L. s.j

Witnesses:

GEORGE SHAW, RICHARD SKERRETT, Both of No. 37 Temple Street, Birmingham. 

